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  THE 
  ZOOLOGIST. 
  

  

  THE 
  AMSTERDAM 
  ZOOLOGICAL 
  GARDENS. 
  

   By 
  Graham 
  Renshaw, 
  M.B. 
  

  

  Although 
  well 
  known 
  to 
  continental 
  naturalists, 
  the 
  exten- 
  

   sive 
  Gardens 
  which 
  the 
  Society 
  " 
  Natura 
  Artis 
  Magistra 
  " 
  main- 
  

   tains 
  at 
  Amsterdam 
  are 
  not 
  so 
  familiar 
  as 
  they 
  deserve 
  to 
  be 
  

   to 
  English 
  visitors. 
  Established 
  in 
  1837, 
  these 
  Gardens 
  are 
  

   amongst 
  the 
  oldest 
  of 
  European 
  "Zoos," 
  and 
  now 
  extend 
  over 
  

   twenty-five 
  acres 
  of 
  land, 
  though 
  they 
  commenced 
  modestly 
  

   enough 
  with 
  a 
  private 
  museum 
  and 
  less 
  than 
  four 
  acres 
  for 
  the 
  

   menagerie. 
  Repeatedly 
  enlarged 
  to 
  meet 
  its 
  growing 
  popularity, 
  

   this 
  fine 
  institution 
  was 
  definitely 
  completed 
  in 
  1882 
  by 
  the 
  

   erection 
  of 
  an 
  aquarium 
  building, 
  and 
  will 
  challenge 
  comparison 
  

   with 
  any 
  of 
  its 
  sister 
  establishments 
  for 
  the 
  richness 
  and 
  

   scientific 
  value 
  of 
  its 
  collections. 
  The 
  Gardens 
  are 
  pleasantly 
  

   situated, 
  with 
  the 
  entrance 
  in 
  the 
  Kerk 
  Laan, 
  and 
  are 
  accessible 
  

   by 
  tramway 
  from 
  all 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  city. 
  . 
  

  

  The 
  visitor 
  may 
  conveniently 
  begin 
  his 
  inspection 
  by 
  studying 
  

   the 
  Llamas, 
  Alpacas, 
  &c, 
  in 
  their 
  pens 
  near 
  the 
  entrance-gates, 
  

   and 
  can 
  then 
  pass 
  on 
  to 
  the 
  Deer 
  and 
  cattle-pens 
  adjoining. 
  At 
  

   the 
  time 
  of 
  my 
  last 
  visit 
  there 
  were 
  four 
  American 
  Bison 
  (Bos 
  

   americanus) 
  on 
  exhibition 
  ; 
  the 
  much 
  rarer 
  European 
  Bison 
  (B. 
  

   bonasus) 
  had 
  recently 
  died. 
  Amongst 
  the 
  Deer 
  was 
  a 
  young 
  

   Moose 
  (Alecs 
  machlis), 
  his 
  antlers 
  projecting 
  as 
  rounded 
  buds 
  

   from 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  his 
  ugly 
  shapeless 
  head, 
  and 
  his 
  enormous 
  

   muzzle 
  twitching 
  with 
  uncouth 
  regularity 
  as 
  he 
  alternately 
  ex- 
  

   panded 
  and 
  contracted 
  his 
  nostrils. 
  

  

  A 
  deafening 
  chorus 
  of 
  Parrot 
  voices 
  greeted 
  one's 
  entrance 
  

   into 
  the 
  bird-gallery. 
  Leadbeater's 
  Cockatoo 
  (Cacatua 
  lead- 
  

   beateri), 
  Jardine's 
  Amazon 
  (Pyocephalus 
  gulielmi), 
  Golden 
  

   Conures 
  (Conurus 
  solstiiialis 
  — 
  four 
  specimens), 
  Lories 
  and 
  Par- 
  

   akeets 
  of 
  every 
  description, 
  were 
  responsible 
  for 
  this 
  unwelcome 
  

   uproar 
  ; 
  but 
  the 
  long 
  rows 
  of 
  neat 
  cages 
  (their 
  enamelled 
  fronts 
  

   maintained 
  spotlessly 
  clean 
  bj 
  T 
  the 
  Dutch 
  keepers) 
  contained 
  

  

  